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If you’ve purchased a washing machine or dishwasher in the last few years, your model probably includes economy settings. Now is a good time to ask yourself if you have ever used the appliance in conservation mode. Why or why not? There can be very good reasons to use, or not use, the eco-settings on your plumbing installations. Read on to learn more about when economy settings are a good idea, and when they could actually end up costing you more in utility bills.

Save Energy, Water and the Environment

Take a look at the list of Energy Star-certified dishwashers, washing machines and hot water heaters. Just about every single model has a setting that allows you to conserve even more. At their ideal, Eco-settings for plumbing installations save you money twice – once for a reduction in water consumption, and once more by using less electricity or gas to heat the water. You get all that, plus the satisfaction of reducing your contribution to dwindling municipal reservoirs and climate-changing carbon emissions.

However, there is another side to the economy setting story – in some cases, the option can decrease the performance of your appliance to the point where it doesn’t meet your standards. If the Eco-setting can’t accomplish the very job that the appliance is designed for, it doesn’t do you much good for saving water, energy or money. Worse, if the dishwasher or washing machine doesn’t get things sufficiently clean, you have to run it twice, using more energy than you would if you just operated it in the normal mode.

Let the Buyer Beware

Where you can really run into trouble with economy settings is if you purchase an appliance based on its conservation claims, only to find that the reduced power mode doesn’t perform satisfactorily. In many cases, you might be better off buying a different unit altogether. That’s why it’s important to look beyond the Energy Star rating and check out consumer reviews of the products you buy so you get a sense of how they have worked for other people.

Finally, don’t forget that your own behavior plays a role in an appliance’s performance as well. If you overload a washer or dishwasher, or use settings inappropriate for the task, they might not work properly whether in economy mode or not. Make sure you are following all the manufacturer’s instructions for a device before deciding that the Eco-setting is what is causing the problem.

Choosing Wisely from a Wealth of Plumbing Installations

It can be tricky choosing from so many appliance options to find the model that works best for you. If you need help picking out economical appliances or plumbing installations, get in touch with an expert plumber today.

Water is among the most essential substances for sustaining human life. Crucial to the advance of urban civilization has been the ability to bring abundant clean water to population centers while safely removing sewage and wastewater. In fact, many municipalities have been pumping drinking water to residents’ household plumbing for so long that the infrastructure is starting to decay. That’s a serious civic issue – but it also has the potential to lead to health problems for you and your family.

Aging Pipes Mean Bad News

First of all, it’s important to understand that the water that comes from your household plumbing is nearly always safe to drink. Municipal water is subject to stringent testing and actually has stricter regulations than the water you buy in bottles. Unfortunately, in rare circumstances, the water can become contaminated on the way from the treatment plant to your faucet.

In some older cities, sections of water main pipes can date back as far as the 1930s. Most of it isn’t quite that old, but the country is behind on putting modern infrastructure in place. It would cost a cool Rs 8449560000000.00 to bring the nation’s water mains up to date by 2020, That may have negative implications for the quality of your drinking water in the coming years.

From Water Mains to Your Household Plumbing

“Aging pipes can break, leach contaminants into the water they carry and breed bacteria – all potential prescriptions for illness,” according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The most obvious sign of aging infrastructure is a water main break, which is often a high-profile event that results in the flooding of city streets. They also pose a health hazard if not handled properly – bacteria or other contaminants can get sucked into the system through the break and end up in your household plumbing.

Rust is another potential consequence of outdated water mains. The good news is that although rust can cause the water to become discolored and have an unpleasant taste, it is not a health hazard in and of itself, according to the Berkeley Wellness Center, except possibly for people with the rare iron-related disorder hemochromatosis. If lead leaches into the water, however, you have a much bigger problem on your hands.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

So what are your options if you are concerned about contaminants from the city water supply getting into your household plumbing? The first step is to test the water to make sure it is safe to drink. You can buy testing kits at a local hardware store, or have a plumber conduct a more thorough assessment. If the water is contaminated, you may want to install a filtering system to ensure that any particles that find their way into the supply don’t end up coming through your faucets.

If you have any concerns about the integrity of your drinking water, contact an expert plumber today.

If you want to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout summer at your house, do you use an air conditioner or a ceiling fan?

Due to increasing electricity costs and the that fact that your air conditioner may be the largest contributor to your energy use at home, very few people can happily leave their air conditioner running 24hours a day.

Did you know that a ceiling fan is a very economical way to help cool a home? A ceiling fan works the same way as a breeze does; by cooling you through the movement of air over your skin, this allows your skin to breathe and cool you down.

The benefits of ceiling fans;

Ceiling fans are environmentally friendly, with most ceiling fans using only about as much power as a 60-watt light bulb which equates to less than 1 cent per hour to run. Although note that when buying fans, check how much power the motor uses as an inefficient fan motor can undo much of the greenhouse gas savings.

They are inexpensive to purchase and run in comparison to air conditioners. To purchase a ceiling fan will cost you Rs 1200 to Rs 4000 to purchase.

Ceiling fans can move air much more quietly and are more efficient air movers. In most situations ceiling fans are quieter than air conditioners which rely on small fast moving internal fans to distribute the air which create more air turbulence which is a major source of noise.

Ceiling fans don’t dry out the air. By using an air conditioner to cool the air you also reduce the amount of moisture it can carry and as such you lower the humidity in a room. Whilst this can be an acceptable side effect in a humid environment, it also causes the drying out feeling that leaves your eyes, throat and skin dry and sore which is why many of us prefer to sleep under a ceiling fan.

Ceiling fans can be reversed for winter. Most people don’t think to turn on a ceiling fan during winter, but you can use a ceiling fan with a reversible switch, which pushes the warm air down from the ceiling, warming up your room and reducing your heating costs. This warm circulating air also reduces condensation on your windows.

Ceiling fans are fantastic in open spaces or spaces where there is a lot of mixing of air between the inside and outside, for example outdoor entertaining areas. Air conditioning is in-effective in comparison unless it is running on the higher settings which in turn would consume a large amount of electricity and become costly.

Ceiling fans and air conditioning are natural partners providing different but complimentary roles. When using an air conditioner to reduce the temperature and humidity in conjunction with a ceiling fan to move the chilled air, providing a natural breeze your cooling effectiveness is greatly improved. When using you ceiling fan and air conditioner together you are also able to set the thermostat on the air conditioner at a slightly higher temperature, whilst still maintaining your same level of comfort but reducing your energy consumption.

“Effective circulation can make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler, and reduce air conditioning bills by up to 40”

We all enjoy having a cool house during a hot summer’s day, but how can we achieve this without the large increase in energy usage?

You can keep the cool air inside your house by sealing up any gaps and cracks in external walls, floors and the ceiling. Weather-seal your external doors using draught stoppers

Keep your shutters, curtains and outside window shades closed to cut out the summer sun and therefore keeping the heat out and the cool air in.

External windows and doors should be closed when you are cooling your house. Enter and exit your home quickly as an open door on a hot summer’s day will allow a great deal of heat to enter into your home.

Opening your windows overnight can help to substantially cool your house, if it doesn’t pose a security issue.

Insulating your home can be a long-term solution to keeping your house cooler in summer
Also try to dress more appropriately for the climate, wearing natural fabrics in summer such as cotton or linen which will help your body keep cool.

Only use cooling when and where it is needed, so make sure that you are only using it when you are home and close the doors to unused rooms.

Use fans instead of the air-conditioner where and whenever possible as fans are much cheaper to use than air conditioning

Although they don’t cool the air they only move it about to produce a breeze.

Ensure that your air conditioner is the right size for the room. If it’s too small, it won’t do the job and if it’s too big it will result in reduced efficiency, higher running costs, inconsistent temperatures and excessive wear and tear.

Your air-conditioner temperature should be set to 23°-26° during summer. According to Save Power, lowering the temperature of your air-conditioner by just one degree can cut your power use by 15 percent.

Get a programmable thermostat or a timer on your air conditioner so that you can come home to a cool house without running your air conditioner all day.

Make sure your air conditioner is functioning as efficiently and inexpensively as possible by cleaning the filters monthly and having an annual professional cleaning and check-up.

If you already have a solar power system, run your air conditioner while the sun is shining to offset the cost of peak electricity rates and maximize your savings.

If you expect a hot day, turn on the air conditioner early, rather than wait until your home is already hot.